(CNN) – Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, indicated her support Wednesday for same-sex-marriage, becoming the fourth sitting Republican senator to do so.

“A number of states, including my home state of Maine, have now legalized same-sex marriage, and I agree with that decision,” Collins said according to the Bangor Daily News in response to one of its reporter's questions.

CNN's John King and other top political reporters empty out their notebooks each Sunday on "Inside Politics" to reveal five things that will be in the headlines in the days, weeks and months ahead.

1. RECRUITING SINK TO RUN AGAIN: Alex Sink is suddenly back in vogue as Democrats look to try again in a Florida House district they lost in a special election last month.

Sink was their candidate then, and a lot of Democrats blamed a subpar campaign on her narrow loss. But Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee leaders remain convinced she is their best candidate in November.

Washington (CNN) - Congressional approval ratings hovered at historic lows. Republican and Democrats hurled insults at each other and among themselves. The political circus in Washington even made its way to "Saturday Night Live: - in a sketch featuring Miley Cyrus, at that.

It seemed that nothing would break through the partisan stronghold that left Capitol Hill at a standstill in the weeks leading up to and during the partial government shutdown.

(CNN) – "The list of harm goes on and on. It is time for this shutdown to end," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaking on the Senate floor Saturday.

Collins called for compromise from Republicans, Democrats and President Barack Obama as she put forth a proposal she said would end the government shutdown.

As the shutdown effect’s spread, members of Congress have expounded on leadership and compromise as they search for a solution. But it seems that little progress has been made as the shutdown drags on late into its fifth day.FULL POST

(CNN) - Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, pressed for more answers Wednesday on why the Navy Yard shooter, who worked for a company contracted by the Navy, had been given security clearance despite his troubled past.

"We absolutely have to be asking tough questions. It appears that there was insufficient vetting by the contractor, that if it had been done would have revealed many of the red flags," Collins said on CNN's "New Day."FULL POST

(CNN) - While some Republican senators are calling for Congress to defund Obamacare altogether, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine used the GOP weekly address Saturday to call for an adjustment in the health care law, not a rejection of the law in its entirety.

Collins takes issue with the Affordable Care Act's characterization of a full-time employee as someone who works 30 hours a week.FULL POST

The Maine Republican said the disclosure that a government agency would go after groups with "tea party" or "patriot" in their names would only add to a growing sense of mistrust Americans have in their government. She was one of a number of Republicans who blasted the IRS on Sunday's talk shows.FULL POST

(CNN) - Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the second Republican senator not involved in negotiating a bipartisan background check measure to say she will support it, according to a statement Sunday.

She described the bill as a responsible compromise between two senators - Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia - who have strong ratings from the National Rifle Association. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, has indicated his support for the deal.FULL POST

(CNN) - Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the second Republican senator not directly involved in negotiating a bipartisan background check measure to say she will support it, according to a report Saturday by NBC News.

She described the bill as a responsible compromise between two senators – Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia – who have strong ratings from the National Rifle Association, according to NBC. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, is expected to support the deal.FULL POST